The sandwich is a food item typically consisting of two pieces
of bread between which are laid one or more layers of meat,
vegetable, cheese, or other fillings, together with optional
or traditionally provided condiments, sauces, and other accompaniments.
The bread is often either lightly buttered, covered in a flavoured
oil when baked, or oil is added into the sandwich to enhance
flavour and texture.

Sandwiches are commonly carried to work or school in lunchboxes
or brown paper bags (sandwich bags) to be eaten as the midday
meal, taken on picnics, hiking trips, or other outings. They
are also served in many restaurants as entrées, and are sometimes
eaten at home, either as a quick meal or as part of a larger
meal. As part of a full meal sandwiches are traditionally accompanied
with such side dishes as a serving of soup (soup-and-sandwich),
a salad (salad-and-sandwich), or potato chips and a pickle or
coleslaw.

Variations

The term "sandwich" has been expanded—especially in the United
States—to include items made with other "breads" such as tortilla,
rolls and focaccia. Thus hamburgers and "subs", for example,
are called "sandwiches" in the United States, although not in
the midwest, south or western states or most other English-speaking
countries (since they are not made with slices of bread from
a loaf).

The nearest traditional Scandinavian equivalent is generally
known elsewhere as an "open" or "open-face" sandwich, i.e. a
single slice of bread with meat, fish, cheese, etc. as a topping,
although the sandwich with two slices of bread has become more
commonplace in recent times. This open-face variation is also
prevalent in Russia, where it is known as a buterbrod (from
the German word for "buttered bread").

In India, sandwiches are often vegetarian, the most common type
being the vegetable sandwich.

In the UK, particularly in the north of England they are known,
informally, as 'butties' or 'sarnies'. This is particularly
the case with sandwiches including freshly-cooked bacon and
butter, though other forms of 'butty' use other ingredients
and mayonnaise. A sandwich filled with chips (US: french fries)
is known as a 'chip buttie' (also butty). In French countries
you might see this referred to as un Belge: a Belgian (sandwich).
In Scotland, sandwiches are called 'pieces'. One Australian
slang term for sandwich is 'sanger' (or 'sanga'). In South Africa
sandwiches are sometimes called 'sarmies'.

In the U.S., some children, and a few adults, pronounce the
word sandwich as sammich, either out of difficulty pronouncing
the word, or as a form of baby talk or stereotyped child's speech.
However, some articulate adults use the pronounciation as "sammich"
to be an appropriate indicator for sandwiches which rise above
mundane day-to-day offerings. These adults hold that a "sandwich"
will feed you, but a "sammich" will go further and is a great
delight to the senses.